ONE BIG THING: BUDGET BONANZA
What Happened?
You can think of the Budget Committee’s hearings as a three stage process:
- Councilmembers ask questions to gather more information and see what changes they can make.
- The Committee starts prioritizing some of those potential changes because we can’t pay for everything. (We are here).
- City staff present the Committee with all the remaining funding decisions they have to make before making recommendations to the full City Council.
The Big News
Here are some of our key takeaways from the first big round of tough decisions:
The Good
- Support for survivors of intimate partner violence is likely to be restored—critical funding given it’s the #1 cause of homelessness among women.
- Keeping wage theft enforcement looks promising – an absolutely vital step to cracking down on one of the most widespread and unenforced crimes in our city.
- LAPD Officer hiring targets may be reduced to more realistic levels to restore 133 civilian roles.
- Restorations to save the Hollyhock House and preserve our treasured UNESCO World Heritage Site may move ahead.
- Alternative funding is being sought to support Day Laborer Centers, who have been subject to escalating attacks from the Trump administration.
The Bad
- Even though unarmed crisis response is effective and saves money ($35 per call vs. LAPD’s $85 for the same amount of time), the committee was hesitant to expand this life-saving program to 3 new divisions for $4.46 million.
- The LAPD study justifying the purchase of two new helicopters for $18 million is from 1970, and data shows that one arrest is made for every 40 hours of flight time. Still, the purchases may move forward without a sense of their need or impact.
- Legal aid for undocumented Angelenos is at risk, with the City’s $1M for RepresentLA unlikely to move forward.
What’s Next?
The biggest drama will happen May 16 at 1pm during “the rack up," when competing priorities are pitted directly against each other and the Committee has to vote on which one to fund.
Then, the budget goes to the full City Council, where there is one final opportunity for amendments.
Three More Quick Hits
- 16 More People Moved Off the Streets and Into Safe, Stable Housing
This week, we partnered with the Mayor’s team and trusted service providers to help 16 people transition indoors from encampments in the Rampart Village/Historic Filipinotown area.
For many, the path to this moment has been long and difficult — shaped by the hardships of the pandemic and years without reliable shelter. Now, they finally have a safe place to rest, case management services, and the chance to move forward.
- We Know Who’s Price Gouging… Now What?
Immediately after the fires, The Rent Brigade crowdsourced a spreadsheet documenting over 8,000 violations of California’s price gouging law.
Many were quick to talk tough and score political points, but only a handful of rent gouging cases have been brought forward across all jurisdictions.
So what gives?
This week, we introduced a motion to get answers and hold violators accountable. Our motion calls for:
- The total number of rent gouging complaints received and how quickly the City responds and initiates investigations
- How complaints are resolved, including any enforcement actions taken
- A map of complaints and enforcement actions, plus a list of repeat offenders
- Recommendations to strengthen enforcement and better deter illegal rent gouging
It’s easy to say that rent-gouging is bad – let’s actually do something about it!
- New Field Deputy Areas
We’re excited to announce some exciting new changes to our office! Laila Molina is our new Deputy District Director, having served as Field Deputy and Senior Field Deputy since we took office.
We’re also thrilled to welcome Mark Anthony Fuentes as our new Senior Field Deputy. Mark comes to our office with a wealth of experience as a Field Representative at both the City and State levels. As a lifelong Angeleno, Mark is already building on his existing relationships as a member of the team and making new connections in the community.
As part of this transition, some Field Deputies areas have shifted. Click here for an interactive map to field your field deputy and get in touch, or check out the list of neighborhoods below.
- Hollywood
- East Hollywood
- Elysian Valley
- Glassell Park
- Los Feliz
- Silver Lake
- Atwater Village
- Historic Filipinotown
- Rampart Village
- Westlake
- Larchmont
- Windsor Square
- Echo Park
- Elysian Park
- Wilshire
- Koreatown
CD13 Pet of the Week
Meet Rock, our Pet of the Week!
This playful Rottweiler mix is the perfect mix of charming and a goof, he’s mildly energetic, and a certified foodie (treats are his love language!)
Rock has been in shelter since December of last year—feigning to explore the smorgasbord that is LA.
Come meet this nonchalant cutie at the West Los Angeles Shelter, he might just be your rock😉
